Door-opener.



entice.

SANFORD.E. GILLE'NTINE, OF ANGUILLA, MISSISSIPPI.

DOOR-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed. June 22, 1915. Serial No. 35,658.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SANFORQE. G'ILLEN- TINE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Anguilla, in the county ofSharkey and State of Mississippi, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Door-Openers, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to door opening devices, and it has for itsobject to produce a simple and effective device which may be readilyapplied to an ordinary door for the purpose of releasing the door latchby foot pressure instead of by manipulation of the door knob, thusenabling a door to be conveniently opened by a person who is carrying aload or whose hands are otherwise engaged.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and effectivedevice of the class described which will enable the door to be openedfrom either side. I.

A further object ofthe invention is to produce a device of the characterdescribed which may be conveniently applied to any ordinary door withoutdisfiguring thesame.

\Vith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claim.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,-Figure 1 is a front view showing a door to which theinvention has been applied, parts having been broken away. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view,

enlarged, taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1..

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig-4 is a detail view showing the clamping collar and the operating roddetached, in front elevation. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the partsseen in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective rear view of the clamp. Fig. 7is. a sectional detail viewtaken on the line 7 -7 in Fig. 1 toillustrate the dooractuating spring. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail Viewillustrating a modified form of the spring.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by l1kecharacters of reference.

'l he lmproved devlce comprlses a clamping collar G composed of twoapproximately semi-circular members 15, 16 each having laterallyextending terminal lugs 17 for the passage of connecting members, suchas screws 18, whereby the collar may be clamped on the shank 19 of anordinary door knob 20. One of the members of the collar is provided witha set screw 21 which may be'tightened upon the shank 19 for the purposeof positively preventing rotation of the clamp after the same has beenproperly adjusted.

One of the lugs of the member 15, which is especially designated by 17',is somewhat elongated and is provided on its rear face with a headedstud 22 engaged by a fork 23 which is carried at the upper end of a rod24 mounted slidably on the door, said rod being supported by screw eyes25. The rod 24 is provided with a flange 26 between which and one of thescrew eyes 25 is placed a spring 27, whereby the rod is normally pressedin an upward direction. The lower end of the rod has a toe piece 28extending forwardly with respect to the door. A second toe piece 29 isadapted to be detachably connected with the rod adjacent to the lowerend of the latter, said last mentioned toe piece being adapted to extendthrough a slot 30 in the door in order that the rod may be depressedagainst the tension of its actuating spring by a person approaching thedoor from either side.

For the purpose of forcing the door open when unlatched a spring 31 isprovided, said spring being coiled in a tubular housing 32 about thestem 33 of a follower 34: which latter under the tension of the springis adapted to project beyond one end of the housing, the other end ofthe housing being provided with a closure 35 perforated for the passageof the stem 33, and the latter being provided with a terminal bottom 36to prevent disassemblage of the parts. The housing 32 may be fitted in asuitable recess in the door frame, as best seen in Fig. 7 in suchposition that the follower will press against the door when the latteris closed, so that when the door is unlatched the spring pressedfollower will have a tendency to swing the door open.

A more simple form of the door actuating spring is illustrated in Fig.8, where a leaf spring 37 of suitable construction is fitted in the doorjamb to press against the rear edge of the door, tending to swing thesame open when unlatched. The form of the door opening spring or springdevice may be varied indefinitely within the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing description'taken in connection with the drawinghereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will bereadily understood. It will be seen that the door opening applia ancemay be very easily installed on any ordinary door that is provided witha lock having a spring actuated latch and a knob for actuating the same.\Vhen thus applied a simple pressure by the foot of the operator on thetoe piece of the rod 2& will rotate the knob shank about the axis, thusactuating the latch in the customary manner, and as soon as the door hasbeen unis claimed as new, is

latched, the spring device will serve to swing it open. The springdevice also constitutes a buiier or anti-slam device to take up theshock when thedoor is forcibly shut.

Having thus described the invention, what The combination with a doorhaving a latch actuating knob provided with a shank,

of a clamp mounted on said shank, said clamp being provided on therearface thereof with a headed stud, a vertically'movable springactuated rod slidably supported on the door and havinga fork engagingthe headed stud, and a toe piece at the lower end of said rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SANFORD E. GILLENTINE.

l Vitnesses V J. T. FARRAR,

P. Y. SANFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

